Air pollution crackdown for Indian Ocean shipping

Photo: Shutterstock

A ‘CONCENTRATED inspection campaign’ targeting air pollution from shipping has been announced by Indian Ocean Memorandum of Understanding nation states.

The CIC is to run from 1 September to 30 November this year.

Member states from the Indian Ocean MOU are meeting in Fremantle this week for the 21st session of the Port State Control Committee, an event hosted by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority.

According to AMSA, the CIC will see port state control officers from all 20 member states of the Indian Ocean MOU target the compliance of foreign-flagged ships with Annex VI (Prevention of Air Pollution from Ships) of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL).

ADVERTISEMENT

As of 1 January 2020, the global sulphur cap is to be cut from current 3.5% to 0.50% and the CIC aims to help raise awareness among crew and owners about the upcoming requirement.

AMSA manager ship Inspection and registration Alex Schultz-Altmann said the CIC would allow port state control authorities to “gauge how effectively industry is transitioning” to the 2020 sulphur cap.

During the CIC, port state control officers are to check if ships are carrying compliant fuel, that equipment such as scrubbers are properly maintained and functioning, and masters and officers are familiar with and have qualifications for critical shipboard procedures and operations.

The results of the inspection campaign will be analysed and findings are to be presented at the next Indian Ocean MOU meeting in South Africa next year.

The last CIC run by member states of the Indian Ocean MOU from September to November 2017 focused on safety of navigation.

According to AMSA, more than 1000 ships were subjected to that concentrated inspection campaign.

Six were detained for deficiencies regarding safety of navigation, including incomplete or poor passage planning.

The Indian Ocean MOU secretariat is to report the outcome of this year’s CIC to the International Maritime Organization for the 2019 session of the Implementation of IMO Instruments Subcommittee.